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As Unemployment Levels Rise, So Do Searches For … Facebook?

When unemployment rates spike, conventional wisdom would dictate that terms such as “unemployment,” “résumé,” or “work,” or even “LinkedIn,” would dominate searches on Google. However, according to Bloomberg, conventional wisdom did not apply, as “Facebook” was actually the most-searched term.

When unemployment rates spike, conventional wisdom would dictate that terms such as “unemployment,” “résumé,” or “work,” or even “LinkedIn,” would dominate searches on Google. However, according to Bloomberg, conventional wisdom did not apply, as “Facebook” was actually the most-searched term.

Bloomberg said it used Google Correlate, which helps find search patterns that correspond with real-world trends, and searches for Facebook itself, or Facebook plus users’ first names, dominated when actual unemployment rate data surged, but not so when the unemployment rate slipped.

Readers: Why do you think searches for Facebook spike along with the unemployment rate?